RITCHIE WARD ASSOCIATES

Project Control

PRODUCT & WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURES

The Association of Project Management defines work management as the process of breaking the project into manageable pieces of work. This can be achieved by first breaking the project into a product orientated family tree i.e. a Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) and then breaking the project into a task orientated family tree i.e. a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The PBS is a product orientated hierarchical breakdown of the project into its constituent end items or deliverables without the work packaging / activities attached. It stops with the product end item definitions. The WBS is the PBS with the principal work packages and activities needed to produce this. The WBS should depict a product in a manner in which technical accomplishment can be incrementally verified and measured and provide the conceptual framework for all integrated planning and control of the work. A Product Breakdown Structure is a formal and systematic way of defining the scope of a project. Of equal importance - the process helps to identify missing scope items and areas of ignorance. The graphical presentation is an end item subdivision of the project, product or item to be produced; it:- Displays And Defines The Product To Be Developed Or Produced - Relates Elements Of Product To Each Other And To The End Item - Enables Responsibilities To Be Identified - Forms A Logical, Structured And Organised Base From Which To Integrate The Work To Be Done, The Organisation, And The Planning And Control System. The product breakdown structure is developed by exploding the project into its component parts and the services required. The packages of work so formed must be clearly distinguishable from all other work packages. Each package is further subdivided into lower level elements of work representing activities at a level where the work is to be performed. This process of breaking down the work is continued until the project is fully defined in terms of "WHAT" is to be done to complete the project. Although primarily orientated towards identifiable self contained end products or deliverables; software, services and project management tasks may also be included. This work breakdown structure divides the work of the project into manageable units for which responsibility can be assigned. Each work package unit is then assigned:o o o o o a description of the scope of work to be performed who is responsible for the work a budget for the work a schedule start and finish date representing physical accomplishment the resources required

C:RWA

RITCHIE WARD ASSOCIATES The addition of:o o the inputs required by the work package the outputs produced by the work package

Project Control

relates the work elements to each other for integration into a detailed programme. The WBS can be used to establish the framework for an integrated project management information system. It integrates the work to be performed, the organisation structure, individual responsibility for the work, together with the subsystems for planning, estimating, budgeting, information, analysis, control and reporting into one logical integrated project management system.

PBS IS A PRODUCT ORIENTATED FAMILY TREE composed of HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, SERVICES AND DATA which result from PROJECT ENGINEERING EFFORTS DURING DEVELOPEMENT & PRODUCTION and COMPLETELY DEFINES THE PROJECT

Level 1: contains only the quantified project objective or end item to be produce.

Level 2: contains the major product segments or sub-sections of the end item. These segments can be defined by location or intended purpose.

Level 3: contains definable components or sub-sets of the level 2 segments.

Level 4: represents lists or units of work at the levels where the work is to be performed.

C:RWA

RITCHIE WARD ASSOCIATES

Project Control

WORK PACKAGE

- REPRESENTS UNITS OF WORK AT LEVELS WHERE WORK IS PERFORMED - CLEARLY DISTINGUISHABLE FROM ALL OTHER WORK PACKAGES - ASSIGNABLE TO SINGLE ORGANISATIONAL ELEMENT - START AND COMPLETION POINTS REPRESENT PHYSICAL ACCOMPLISHMENT - HAS A BUDGET OR ASSIGNED VALUE - LIMITED TO RELATIVELY SHORT SPANS OF TIME - INTEGRATED INTO DETAILED PROGRAMME

BENEFITS:

BASE LINE DEFINITION COMPLETENESS CHANGE CONTROL DISCIPLINED SINGLE POINT IDENTIFICATION RESOURCE IDENTIFICATION RELATEDNESS CRITICALITY

C:RWA